For photography enthusiasts who think that the traditional point-and-shoot is underwhelming and DSLRs to be a bit too cumbersome at times, Panasonic now offers a formidable choice: the Panasonic Lumix GF1.[firstpara] The GF1, in a nutshell, is a DSLR in a point-and-shoot’s body—or at least that’s what it aims to be.

So how does it do this? The GF1 uses a Micro Four Thirds system (developed by Olympus and Panasonic) which employs a DSLR-sized image sensor minus the traditional SLR mirror and optical viewfinder. In layman’s terms, the system is designed to cram the imaging capabilities of most entry to mid-level DSLRs in a relatively compact body. And it works.

This Spartan-looking 12.1-megapixel shooter can be taken to places where it’s impractical to bring DSLRs, without compromising image quality. Compared to even the best point-and-shoot cameras, the GF1 produces images with much lower noise, allows for a higher dynamic range and produces satisfying depth-of-field characteristics. Likewise, the camera’s quick autofocus system, and face detection abilities very much blur the line between what DSLRs and semi-compact cameras are supposed to offer.

The camera also offers two encoding formats for videos: Motion JPEG mode and AVCHD Lite mode. The former features high compatibility rates with editing programs but caps out recording size at 2 GB while the latter lets you record until you’ve exhausted the camera’s memory. These 2 modes definitely add versatility to the solid feature set of this camera, which also includes built-in flash, an interchangeable lens system and a beautiful 3-inch LCD screen.

It doesn’t look flashy like, say, most of Sony’s point-and-shoots are, but the proof is in the photographs. This one is for serious photographers too, and its rugged DSLR-like aesthetics, topnotch imaging qualities, and solid feature set should clue you in on that.